Welcome Back, Webber!

The Adventures of Trudge and Zippy

Welcome Back, Webber! brings out lessons on consideration for others, and teaches children the importance of looking out for their friends and lending a hand when a friend is in need of help.

The Adventures of Trudge and Zippy is a beautifully illustrated and charming set of storybooks designed to help young children learn important characterbuilding values and lessons in a fun and entertaining way. Written by Katiuscia Giusti, British-Italian educator and author of Grandpa Jake’s Storybook, with art by acclaimed American illustrator Hugo Westphal of the Stories to Grow By collection and many others. Get the whole collection today!

I SBN 3 - 03730 - 103 - 1

A-EN-BC-TZ-002-H

www.auroraproduction.com

The Adventures of Trudge and Zippy: Welcome Back, Webber!

Trudge and Zippy are enjoying a day like any other down at Bulrush Pond, when they come across quite a surprise! In the midst of all the excitement, Zippy meets with an unfortunate encounter from which he needs rescuing!

Welcome Back, Webber!

The Adventures of Trudge and Zippy

Welcome Back, Webber!

Written by Katiuscia Giusti Illustrations by Hugo Westphal ISBN: 3–03730–252–6 Copyright © 2005 by Aurora Production AG, Switzerland.

All Rights Reserved. Printed in Thailand by Than Printing, Ltd. www.auroraproduction.com

“I hear a frog!” Zippy said.

“I don’t,” said Trudge.

“Listen.”

“Rrribit, Rrribit!”

“Maybe Webber came back from his trip,” Zippy said excitedly.

“Stand on my shell and tell me if you see anything. I wish it were Webber. He’s been gone for so long.”

Zippy stood on his tiptoes, stretched his little neck out as far as it could go, and peered over the bulrushes.

“I can’t see anything,” Zippy said. “Let’s move away from the bulrushes.

Maybe I’ll see better from over there.”

Trudge walked down the edge of the pond while Zippy sat on his back scanning the pond, looking for whatever was making that noise.

“Here’s good,” Zippy said.

Suddenly, “Rrribit! Rrribit!” came the sound loudly.

“AAHHH!” Zippy shouted, losing his balance and falling headfirst off of Trudge’s back and into the long grass along the pond’s edge.

“Are you alright?” asked Trudge.

“I’m okay,” mumbled Zippy. He was just about to climb back on Trudge’s back when he noticed two big eyes looking at him. “Webber?”

“That’s right. It’s me!” Webber said.

“Did I scare you, Zippy?” Webber asked.

“Oh no! I wasn’t scared … I … uh, well, kind of.”

Webber grinned with his great big frogmouth. “It’s good to be back. I missed you guys.”

“Same here,” Zippy and Trudge said together.

“Up for a swim?” Trudge asked.

“You bet.”

Before Zippy could say a word, Trudge and Webber both dove into the water and swam out to the middle of the pond.

“Hey, wait for me,” Zippy called.

Zippy puttered around the shore and gathered twigs and a large leaf. Then he tiptoed into the pond to float the leaf. “Ooooh, the water is ccccold,” he said, his teeth chattering. But Trudge and Webber didn’t seem to think so.

It’s a bother that I don’t swim as well as Webber and Trudge, Zippy thought. Whenever they play in the water, they forget that I never learned how to swim and don’t like the water.

Zippy climbed aboard a large leaf he’d dragged into the water, and started rowing with the twigs to get over to where Webber and Trudge were playing.

Suddenly the calm pond water began to stir, and ripples rocked Zippy’s leaf back and forth.

“Whoa!” Zippy cried as a cold wave came splashing down on his head, washing away both his twigs. “What’s happening?! Help! Help!” he cried.

Zippy’s two friends didn’t hear him, as they were much too busy playing a splashing game that was causing waves and ripples all over the pond.

“I bet I can make a bigger splash than you,” Webber challenged Trudge.

He then jumped up in the air as high as he could, curled up into a ball and landed in the water with a splash.

HELP!

Trudge and Webber both laughed.

The splashes got bigger and bigger, and poor Zippy nearly fell off his leaf several times, while Trudge and Webber continually outdid each other’s last huge splash.

Suddenly it happened.

Splash!

Trudge and Webber had together made the largest splash yet, and that splash knocked Zippy clear off his leaf and into the water.

“Help!” he shrieked, as he paddled trying to stay afloat, and then began going under the water.

Zippy was scared, but he didn’t panic. Please help me, God, he prayed.

Then Zippy felt something pick him up and quickly pull him out of the water. Before he could figure out what had happened, Zippy found himself sitting on the shore of the pond, coughing and sputtering.

Rana, Webber’s sister, was in the right place at the right time, and had come to Zippy’s rescue.

“Trudge! Webber! I believe you lost a friend!” Rana yelled in her loud frog voice from the shore.

Trudge and Webber swam over to their friend as fast as they could.

“What happened to you?” Trudge asked as he came ashore.

An angry look crossed Zippy’s face. He turned his back to his two friends.

“You guys left me!” Zippy began. “I tried to keep up. I even called out to you!”

“Oh, but we were playing a game,” Webber said enthusiastically.

“I know!” Zippy said angrily. “If it weren’t for Rana, who knows what would’ve happened to me.”

“We’re really sorry, Zippy,” Trudge said. “I guess because we both are at home in the water, we forgot that you don’t know how to swim.”

“We’ll try to be more thoughtful next time,” Webber added. “Will you forgive us?”

Zippy sighed. “Of course I’ll forgive you. You’re my friends, after all—and the best friends at that!”

Zippy gave his friends a great big wet hug.

“Next time we’ll think of something to do that will include you, too,” Webber said to Zippy.

“That’s nice of you, but I don’t mind you swimming sometimes. I know you like it. Maybe next time I can do something else, instead of trying to follow you into the water. … That was pretty scary! Thank God for keeping me safe.”

“If you want, maybe we can help you learn how to swim some time, too,” Trudge added.

“Yes, I would like to learn. Thank you, Trudge.”

“Oh, thank you for rescuing me, Rana!” Zippy said gratefully.

“My pleasure,” she answered, sporting a great big frog grin, just like her brother’s.

The four friends set off for the forest, laughing and playing as they went.

They had learned to be more considerate of each other, and that made them even better friends.